News Desk

“the Progress We Made in Many Areas of Boeing During 2008 Was Outweighed by the Impact of the Strike and Our Performance on Some Key Development Programs,” Said Boeing’s Chairman, President, and Ceo Jim Mcnerney. “Our Imperative Going Forward is Improving Execution Where It Needs to Be Improved, Maintaining Strong Performance Across All Our Production Programs, and Preserving Our Financial Strength to Grow in These Challenging Economic Times. ” Boeing Commercial Airplanes Reported an Operating Loss of Us$968m (a$1. 47bn) After Revenue Dropped by 48 Per Cent to Us$4. 6bn (a$7. 0bn). For the Full Year, a Revenue Drop of 15 Per Cent to Us$28. 3bn (a$42. 9bn) Drove Earnings Down by 67 Per Cent to Us$1. 2bn (a$1. 8bn).

Integrated Defense Systems Recorded Only a Four Per Cent Decline in Revenue for the Quarter to Us$8. 0bn (a$12. 1bn) and a 10 Per Cent Drop in Earnings to Us$881m (a$1. 34bn). For the Year, Revenue Was Static at Us$32. 0bn (a$48. 5bn), but a 23 Per Cent Fall Revenue From Boeing Military Aircraft Drew Earnings Down by Six Per Cent to Us$3. 2bn (a$4. 8bn).

Mcnerney Also Announced That the Company Would Lay Off Up to 10,000 Staff This Year, Including 4500 From Commercial Airplanes Announced Earlier This Year as a Result of the Economic Slowdown. The Other Job Cuts Are Expected to Come From Ids.

Despite the Tough Trading Conditions Expected for the Remainder of 2009, Boeing Issued a Us$68-69bn (a$103-105bn) Revenue Guidance, Which It Predicated on “stable Delivery Levels for in-production Commercial Airplanes Over the Next Several Years. ”

Airbus to Cut Production Rates

Airbus Has Announced That It Will Cut Back Production Levels in Order to Better Match the Fall in Customer Demand as a Result of the Global Economic Crisis. The Toulouse Based Manufacturer Plans to Cut Back A320 Family Production by Two Aircraft Per Month to 34 From October 2009. It Has Also Abandoned Plans to Increase Production on the A330/a340 Line, Keeping It at the Current Rate of 8. 5 Per Month.

“We Monitor the Market Continuously and Try to Be Proactive,” Airbus Ceo Tom Enders Said. “flexibility and Adaptability Are Essential in Times of Crises. We Reached Record Production Rates in Late 2008, but Now We See a Drop of Air Traffic in Most Regions. Many Airlines Are Taking Capacity Out of the Market. ” the Cuts Have Not Been Unexpected, With Airbus Announcing Back in October That It Would Not Expand Its Output as It Had Planned During 2010. Enders Also Wouldn’t Rule Out Further Rate Reductions Should the Downturn in Traffic Lead to Further Deferrals or Cancellations.

That Prospect is Increasing, With Iata Ceo and Director General Giovanni Bisignani Telling Reporters in New York on February 19 That He Predicts That Airbus and Boeing Will Not Deliver More Than Half the Aircraft They Will Produce This Year. However, Bisigani Said That the Situation “can Easily Change” Should Signs of an Economic and Financial Recovery Start Showing.

Embraer Cuts Staff, Output

Embraer is Planning to Lay Off Approximately 20 Per Cent of Its Workforce and Cut Its Output This Year to Try and Insulate the Company From the Woes Being Experienced by a Number of Its Customers.

The Company Said on February 19 That It Will Make the Job Cuts in Production and Administrative Positions, Including Removing One Layer of Its Management Structure. “the Significant Majority of the Engineering Workforce Will Be Kept Engaged in Programs for Development of New Products and Technologies, Which Will Be Kept Unchanged,” a Company Statement Read.

Other Measures Include Slashing Its Investment Account by Us$100m (a$156m) to Us$350m (a$546m), and the Company Has Revised Its Production Target This Year to 242 Commercial and Executive Aircraft, Which is 28 Fewer Than It Forecast Earlier This Year. As a Result, It Expects Revenue for the Year to Be Lower at Us$5. 5bn (a$8. 6bn).

As of December 31, Embraer Had a Backlog of 426 Commercial Aircraft, Although It is Understood That Many of These Are Aircraft Destined for Airlines Which Are Planning to Cut Capacity and Defer Capital Spending. Locally, Virgin Blue Has Already Said That It is Deferring Delivery on Six E-190s Which Were Due This Year to 2010.

787 Suffers Cancellations, but on Track

Boeing Recorded Cancellations for 32 Boeing 787s From Three Customers in February but is Still on Track to Make Its First Deliveries of the Dreamliner in 2010.

The Cancellations Have Come From Dubai Based Lessor Low Cost Aircraft Leasing and Russia’s S7 Airlines, With Cancellations of 16 and 15 Respectively, as Well as One 787bbj From Hong Kong Company Sky Peace Ltd. Lcal Still Has Five 787s on Order, Which Are Believed to Be Committed to Customers Including Royal Brunei Airlines and Royal Jordanian. With the Delays to the Program, a Number of Key Lcal Investors Have Chosen to Allocate Their Capital Elsewhere, According to the Lessor.

S7’s Cancellation Leaves It Without Any 787s on Order, but Says It is Still Interested in Leasing the Aircraft in the Future.

Despite the Cancellations, Boeing Says That the Program Remains on Track to Deliver the First Aircraft to Launch Customer All Nippon Airlines in 2010. “we Continue to Be Confident That We’ll Deliver the First Airplanes to Their Customers That Want Them So Badly, by the First Quarter of 2010,” Said Boeing Commercial Airplanes Ceo Scott Carson in a Speech to a Barclays Capital Investor Conference on February 10.

As of Mid February, Boeing Said It Was in the Process of Assembling the Sixth Dreamliner, and Had Largely Completed Fastener Rework on the First Four 787s. Nevertheless, Boeing Ceo Jim Mcnerney Confirming Earlier That Za001 Will Still Have Some Temporary Fasteners in Place for Its First Flight.

Boeing Ready to Cut Production in 2010

Boeing Commercial Airplanes Ceo Scott Carson Says the Company Will Decide in May if It Needs to Cut Its Output in 2010.

Carson Also Raised the Prospect of Lowering Its Output on Other Lines. In Response to a Question, He Said “We Are, as I Said, Feeling Good About 2009, Cautiously Optimistic About 2010, but Prepared to Make the Rate Adjustments We Need to. ” He Later Added That Boeing Could Cut Production by as Much as 10 Per Cent in 2010 Should Customers Seek Long-term Delivery Deferrals. He Also Noted That Some Customers Had Been Seeking to Defer Deliveries “by a Couple of Fiscal Periods in Most Cases”.

Ilfc Chief Steven Udvar-hazy Previously Said That Both Airbus and Boeing Would Have to Slash Their Output by 30-35 Per Cent, Although Carson Denied That Boeing Would Require Such a Dramatic Cut.

Bombardier Says Fundamentals Solid

Bombardier Aerospace Says That Its Performance for the Year Ending December 31 2008 Was Solid, but Admits That It Faces Some Challenges During This Year.

For the 2008/09 Fiscal Year, Bombardier Delivered 353 Aircraft, Comprising 239 Business Aircraft, Four Bombardier 415 Amphibian Aircraft, and 110 Commercial Aircraft. The Latter Comprised 56 Crj Series Regional Jets and 54 Q Series Turboprops. The Carrier Also Took Net Orders for 378 Aircraft, Comprising 262 Business Aircraft, 114 Commercial Aircraft (With 47 Crjs and 67 Q400s), and Two Amphibians.

“the Industry is Experiencing Strong Turbulence and We Anticipate More Volatility in the Short Term,” Said Bombardier Aerospace’s President and Chief Operating Officer Guy C Hachey. “the Fundamentals of Bombardier Aerospace Are Solid, but We Expect We Will Face More Challenges This Year. ” in Response to These Challenges, the Manufacturer Said It Would Cut Production on Its Challenger and Global Series Business Jet Lines by Approximately 10 Per Cent, but is Planning on Boosting Its Q400 Production by Approximately 22 Per Cent to 66 Units Per Annum. Nevertheless, the Drop in Production Would Necessitate It Cutting Approximately 1360 Jobs as Its Belfast, Wichita and Montreal Area Sites.

Bae Regional Aircraft “strong Performance” in 2008 Bae Systems Regional Aircraft Says That Its Aircraft Leasing and Support Services Had a Strong Year in 2008.

Alan Fraser, Managing Director of Regional Aircraft Said, “whilst We Are Not Complacent and, Indeed, Face Several Challenges in 2009, the Customer Base for Our Portfolio Products Continues to Grow and We Are Active in Several Different Market Sectors. Our Support Business Remains Robust and Our Focus in the Year Ahead Will Be on Maintaining High Level Support to Our Customer Base. ” During the Year, Regional Aircraft Placed 75 Aircraft Through New Leases, Sales and Existing Customers, Including Adding Nine New Operators of Bae 146s and Renewed Interest in the Atp Turboprop as a Passenger Aircraft.

Regional Aircraft Also Announced That It Had Sold Two Bae 146-200s to National Jet Systems Which Had Been on Lease for a Number of Years. It Also Sold One Bae 146-200 to New Zealand Based Air National, Which is Planning to Use the Aircraft for Charter Business Form February Once It Receives Nz Caa Approval. The Aircraft is Already in New Zealand, Having Been Delivered in Mid December After a Ferry Flight From Calgary.

The Company Also Recorded Strong Demand for Its Support Services, Including Adding 17 Aircraft to Its “rate Per Flight Hour” Maintenance Program, Bringing the Total Number of Aircraft Under the Arrangement to Just Over 180. Also Active Was the Aircraft Modifications Business, With Work Completed for Carriers Including Lufthansa Regional, Cityjet and Sa Airlink, as Well as Business Jet Modifications to Avro Rjs for Customers Including the Dubai Air Wing.

Commercial Briefs

Ryanair Has Held Talks With Boeing and Airbus for a Potential Order for Up to 200 Narrowbody Aircraft for Delivery From 2013 to Replace Its Oldest Boeing 737-800s, Although Ceo Michael O’leary Said That the Carrier Would Be Happy to Wait Until Their “order Book Collapses”. Ryanair Was Previously Able to Gain Significant Discounts on 737s After the September 11 Attacks Due to the Depressed Economy, and Still Has 139 737s on Order.

Us Airways Has Cancelled an Order for the A318, Effectively Leaving British Airways as the Last Airline Customer for the Smallest of the A320 Family. Its Two A318s Are Due for Delivery This Year, While at Least Another 14 A318s Remain on Backlog for Use as Business Jets.

the First Airbus A380 for Air France Made Its First Flight From Toulouse on February 16. The Aircraft, Which is Powered by Engine Alliance Gp7200 Engines, is Due to Be Delivered to Air France in October.

Pratt & Whitney Has Performed Its First V2500a-5 to V2500 Selectone Engine Retrofit at Its Columbus Engine Centre. The Retrofit of the Newer Engine Was Conducted on a 1998 Build Us Airways A320.

the Two Prototype Sukhoi Superjet 100 Regional Jets Completed Over 300 Hours of Flight Testing Over 90 Flights During February. Two Other Prototypes Are in Final Assembly, With These Aircraft Also to Be Used in Flight Testing Ahead of Certification and First Deliveries to Launch Customer Aeroflot in the Third Quarter of This Year.

Air France Took Delivery of Its First Boeing 777 Freighter on February 20, After the Aircraft Received Its Easa Validation on February 3.

Atr Announced on February 10 That the Atr 72-500 Has Received Approval for Operations Into London City Airport Rolls-royce and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Signed a Memorandum of Understanding to Undertake Joint Research Into New Manufacturing Techniques and Materials for Use in Gas Turbine Engines. Under the Mou, Rr Will Work With the Academy’s Institute of Metals Research on Advancing Techniques in Titanium Aluminide Casting Technology.

Continental Airlines Has Taken Delivery of the First Boeing 757-300 Featuring Aviation Partners Boeing Blended Winglets. Continental Estimates That on the 757-300, the Winglets Could Save Up to Us$164,000 (a$253,395) Per Aircraft.

Singapore Airlines Took Delivery of Its 19th and Last Boeing 777-300er on January 30, Which is Also the Airline’s 77th Boeing 777. Sia Took Delivery of Its First 777, a -200er, in May 1996.

Sales

Korean Air Has Ordered Two Additional Airbus A380s, Raising Its Commitments for the Type to 11.

Military

Minister Confirms Caribou Retirement

Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon Has Confirmed the Raaf Will Retire Its 13 Remaining Dhc-4 Caribou Light Tactical Transports by the End of This Year.

The February 19 Announcement Came Several Months After a Recommendation by the Raaf to Government That the Caribou’s Retirement Be Brought Forward and That 38sqn Transition to an Interim Capability of Eight King Air B300 and 350 Turboprops. This Would Allow the Unit to Better Prepare Its Workforce for the Turbine Powered, Digital Avionics Equipped Successor to Be Acquired Under Project Air 8000 Phase 2 From 2013.

“after 45 Years of Tireless and Distinguished Service With the Royal Australian Air Force, the Caribou Fleet is Suffering Badly From a Range of Ageing Aircraft Issues, and Contains Asbestos Parts Which I Am Determined to Weed Out of the Defence Force,” the Minister’s Statement Read. “air Force is Struggling to Achieve Four to Five Serviceable Aircraft at Any One Time. In Fact, It is a Tribute to the Outstanding Work of 38 Squadron Aircrew, Technicians and Support Personnel That the Caribou Has Been Able to Operate as Long as It Has. ” the Caribou Entered Service With the Raaf in 1964, With Many of the Aircraft Being Delivered Direct From the Factory to Australia’s Main Operating Base at Vung Tau in Vietnam. The Aircraft Has Performed Sterling Work in and Around the Region in Recent Years Including in East Timor, the Solomon Islands, and Papua New Guinea.

“options for Bringing Forward the Schedule on This Project Are Being Considered as Part of the White Paper Process,” Minister Fitzgibbon Added. In the Meantime, and in Order to Facilitate the Introduction of the King Air, Army’s 173sqn Which Operates Three King Air 350s and Many of Its Experienced Personnel Will Transfer Across to 38sqn. Once the More Permanent Tactical Airlifter Solution Has Been Found, Many of These Personnel Will Then Be Given the Option of Remaining With 38sqn or Transferring Back to an Army Rotary Winged Unit.

Last F-111 Push to Red Flag

Six F-111cs From 6sqn and Two C-130h Hercules From 37sqn Have Deployed to Nellis Afb Near Las Vegas to Participate in Red Flag 09-2-2 in Conjunction With Us and Uk Forces.

The Aircraft Arrived at Nellis Last Week and Will Participate in an Extended Three Week Long Exercise From February 21 to March 14 Over and Around Nellis Ranges to the North of the City.

The Raaf Had Reportedly Originally Planned to Send a Number of F/a-18s From 3sqn to Red Flag, but Was Unable to Get Tanker Support for the Deployment, So Instead Sent the F-111s as They Have the Range to Self-deploy by Island-hopping Across the Pacific. The Exercise Will Likely Be the Final Major Overseas Deployment of the F-111 as It is Slated for Retirement at the End of 2010.

The Aircraft Are Scheduled to Return to Australia by the End of March.

Eads Re-affirms Commitment to A400m Eads Has Been Forced to Re-affirm Its Commitment to the Delayed A400m Transport Program, Following Reports in the European Media That German Politicians Were Considering Withdrawing Their Country From the Consortium.

Eads Says That, Despite Having to Re-organise the Program and Pending the Outcome of Discussions With the European Organisation Conjointe De Coopération en Matière D’armement (Occar), It is “more Than Ever Determined to Deliver on This Program Which is One of the Most Ambitious European Defence Programs Designed to Produce an Aircraft of Exceptional Performance. ” Eads Has Found Support for the Program in French Political Circles With a Group of French Senators Publicly Backing the Aircraft as a “brickstone of Sovereignty” for Europe.

Israel May Delay Jsf Buy After Price Rises Reports in the Israeli Media Indicate That the Signing of a Contract for an Initial Buy of About 30 F-35a Jsfs Has Been Delayed Due to an Increase in the Average Price of the Aircraft.

The Jerusalem Post Reports That the Israeli Defence Force (Idf) is Fearful the Price of the Aircraft Would Rise to More Than Us$100m (a$152m) Instead of Earlier Predictions of Between U$50m (a$76m) and Us$60m (a$91m), Meaning the Idf Couldn’t Afford the 75 F-35s It Says It Needs to Replace Early Model F-15s and F-16s Next Decade. The Report Says the Idf is Now Considering Delaying the Purchase So It Can Buy Aircraft Further Into the Build Run at a Cheaper Price.

Israel is a Security Cooperation Participant in the Jsf Program and is Expected to Be the First Non Full Partner Nation to Acquire the Aircraft.

The Report Came After

the Pentagon’s Chief Weapons Buyer, John Young, Claimed in a Recent Memo to Defense Secretary Robert Gates That the Entire Us Jsf Program for 2400 Aircraft Will Cost Us$298bn in 2001 Dollars, Up From the Original Estimate of Us$229bn. Young Said the X-35 and Boeing’s X-32 Used in the 2001 Jsf Fly-off Were Inadequate “technology Demonstrators” Rather Than “true Prototypes”, and Therefore Were Not Representative of the Production Aircraft.

In the Meantime, the Us Congress Has Restored Funding for Three Development F-35c Carrier Variant Jsfs After Re-programming Us$40m (a$61m) in Funding for Long Lead Items for the Aircraft. The Funding Had Previously Been Cut to Allow for Just One F-35c Development Aircraft Which Would Have Delayed Initial Operational Test and Evaluation of the Cv Variant.

Full Funding for the Aircraft is Expected to Be Reinstated in the Obama Administration’s First Budget Allocations Which Should Appear From April.

Usn Retires S-3 Viking the Us Navy Retired the Last of Its S-3b Vikings at a Ceremony at Nas Jacksonville on January 30.

The S-3a, Affectionately Dubbed the ‘hoover’ Due to Its Quiet Turbofan Engines, Was Designed as a Carrier Borne Anti-submarine Aircraft and First Entered Service in 1974. The Fleet Was Upgraded in the Early 1990s and the Aircraft Were Redesignated as S-3bs for the Anti-surface Warfare and Strike Roles Employing Harpoon and Maverick Missiles, as Es-3a Shadows for the Electronic Warfare Mission, and as Ks-3bs for Aerial Refuelling. A Total of 186 S-3s Was Built Between 1972 and 1978.

More Super Hornets Expected for Usn

Boeing is Reportedly Confident the Us Navy Will Order at Least 60 More F/a-18e/f Super Hornets Than Currently Contracted for From 2012, According to a Report in the Hill on February 3.

The Report Claims Boeing and Its Suppliers Have Been Actively Lobbying Members of Congress From the 44 States in Which Parts for the Super Hornet Are Produced for the Additional Aircraft. The Company is Currently Producing the Final Aircraft of a Five Year Multi-year Procurement (Myp) Program and at the Moment Has Contracts in Place for an Additional 89 Super Hornets Past the Myp. An Order for a Further 60 Aircraft May Result in a New Myp Deal Which Would Also Incorporate the Additional 89 Jets, and Would Take Production Out to 2016 or Beyond.

“we Feel Very Confident That the Time is Right for the Multiyear Because It is Based on a Need That Was Articulated Before the Economic Meltdown,” Boeing’s F/a-18 Program Head, Bob Gower, Said. “the Navy is Headed Toward Adding Quantities of Super Hornet. I Am Feeling More Confident Now Than I Have to Date. ” the Us Navy is Expected to See a Shortfall of Up to 200 Fighters in the Middle of the Next Decade Due to Reduced Availability of F/a-18a-d ‘classic’ Hornets and Delays in Fielding the F-35c Jsf.

F136 Engine Test Progresses

Ahead of Schedule the Ge Rolls-royce Teaming Producing the Alternate F136 Engine for the Jsf Program Says It Has Started Testing of a Production Representative Engine One Month Ahead of Schedule.

The Engine, Which Has Survived Two Attempts in Recent Years to Kill It Off to Free Up Funding for the Jsf Program, Commenced Testing on January 30 Under the Program’s System Development and Demonstration Contract, While Two Prototype Engines Have Previously Completed More Than 800 Hours of Bench Testing.

The F136 is Being Funded as an Alternate Engine to the More Mature P&w F135, Which is a Development of the F119 Flown in the F-22 Raptor.

Two More Wedgetails Fly Two Australian Modified Boeing Wedgetail Aew&c Aircraft for the Raaf Each Performed Successful Post-modification Functional Check Flights in Late January.

The 2. 5 Hour Flights on January 21 and 28 From Raaf Base Amberley Involved a Series of Functional Tests That Verified the Airworthiness of the 737-based Aircraft’s Systems and Structures. Both Flights Were Crewed by Pilot Doug Benjamin and First Officer Ed Wilson.

“these Successful Functional Check Flights Demonstrate the Significant Capability We Have Here in Amberley to Execute the Complex Modification Work Required to Transform a 737 Airplane Into an Aew&c Platform,” Said Wayne Needs, Vice President and General Manager for Boeing Global Services & Support, Australia.

The Wedgetails Are Two of the Four Being Converted From ‘green’ 737 Airliner Airframes to the Wedgetail Configuration – Including Fitting the Mesa Radar Antenna, Ventral Fins and Mission System Equipment – by Boeing Defence Australia at Amberley. They Are Due to Be Painted in Raaf Colours Over the Next Few Weeks, With One Due to Appear at Next Month’s Avalon Airshow Before Joining Boeing’s Wedgetail Test Fleet in the Us in Early April.

The First Two Wedgetail Modifications Were Performed by Boeing in the Us.

Usaf Kc-x May Be a Split Buy

the Usaf’s Long-delayed Kc-x Program to Replace Its Oldest Kc-135 Tankers Could End Up Being a Split Buy Shared Between Boeing and Northrop Grumman/eads, if Somewhat Conciliatory Language From Washington is a Guide.

Us Media Has Reported That the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Visited Northrop Grumman’s Proposed Final Assembly Site in Alabama in Mid January and Reportedly Expressed Interest in Looking Closer at the Option of a Split Buy Between the Kc-30 and Kc-767. The Airbus A330-based Kc-30 Was Chosen Last Year Over Boeing’s 767-based Solution, but an Appeal by Boeing Was Subsequently Upheld by the Us Government Accountability Office. The Outgoing Bush Administration Subsequently Cancelled the Competition, Leaving the Subsequent Re-bid for the New Obama Administration.

Analysts Have Said a Split Buy, While Introducing the Costs of Operate Two Different Types, May Save Money During the Competitive Tender Process Where the Contractors Would Be Incentivised to Provide Competitive Support and Spares Costs.

While Kc-x Will Seek Up to 179 New Tankers, the Follow-on Kc-y Program Due Early Next Decade May Seek to Replace as Many as 300 More Kc-135s.

Military Briefs

Boeing Will Demonstrate Its Vigilare Integrated Air Battle Management Command-and-control (C2) System at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (Idex) in Abu Dhabi, Uae. The System Was Designed and Developed for the Adf Under Project Air 5333 and Its Introduction Has Been Delayed Several Years, but is Due to Enter Service in Late 2010.

Singapore Has Taken Delivery of the First of Four G550-aew Aircraft. The Gulfstream Business Jets Have Been Extensively Modified in Israel With the Addition of a Sophisticated Mission System Based Around a Side and Forward Looking Aesa Radar.

Boeing Says It Successfully Demonstrated the Ability to Retarget Inflight Its Slam-er Anti-surface Missile Against a Moving Vehicle Sized Target During a Recent Test at China Lake in the Us. The Company Says an Aircraft, Likely a P-3c Orion, Equipped With the Navy Littoral Surveillance Radar System Sent Real-time Targeting Data to an F/a-18f, Which Relayed the Data to the Missile After It Was Launched From a Second F/a-18f. Analysts Say the Test Was Significant Because the Target Vehicle Had Just Performed a Right Angle Turn Just Before Being Hit by the Missile.

an Army S-70 Black Hawk Helicopter Sustained Damage to Its Tail Shaft After a Heavy Landing in the East Timor Capital of Dili on February 9. The Department of Defence Says the Helicopter Was Conducting a Night Flying Training Mission When the Incident Occurred at the International Stabilisation Force (Isf) Base at Dili Airport, and That the Reason for the Heavy Landing is Not Yet Known but is Currently Under Investigation. The Army Has Three Black Hawks Based in East Timor in Support of the Isf.

the Usaf Has Signed a Us$2. 95bn (a$4. 5bn) Contract for 15 Boeing C-17 Transports, Increasing the Usaf’s Order to 205 C-17s.

Boeing Has Reportedly Offered India an Export Version of the Ea-18g Growler to India. Dubbed ‘growler Lite’, the Aircraft Would Not Be Equipped With Alq-99 Tactical Jamming Pods, but Would Retain an Electronic Awareness Capability and Could Provide Jamming via Its Apg-79 Aesa Radar. Boeing Has Also Reportedly Offered the C-17 to India in Response to a Recent Strategic Airlift Request for Information.

Honeywell Has Offered Its New F125 Engine to India as an Option to Re-engine That Country’s Large Fleet of Jaguar Strike Aircraft. Developed From the Successful F124 Series, the F125in Would Provide 9850lb (43. 8kn) of Thrust, and Honeywell is Touting the Engine’s Fadec Reliability, Lower Support Costs, Greater Reliability and Lower Fuel Consumption Compared to the Jaguar’s Current Rolls-royce Adours.

a Us Senator Has Publicly Revealed That Us Predator-a Uavs Are Operating From a Base in Pakistan Against Taliban and Al Qaeda Insurgents in the Pakistan-afghanistan Border Regions.

the Us Special Operations Command Has Ordered 10 Pzl M-28 Skytrucks for Use as Light Cargo and Passenger Aircraft in Support of Special Forces. The Polish Designed M-28 Can Carry 19 Fully-equipped Troops, Has a Rear Loading Ramp, and Can Operate From Short and Unprepared Airstrips.

Boeing Has Been Awarded a Us$45m (a$69m) Contract for the Sustainment Block 15 Avionics Software Upgrade of the Usaf’s Fleet of 66 B-1b Bombers.

Saab and Boeing Have Both Submitted Bids for the Brazilian Air Force’s F-x2 Fighter Competition for 36 New Fighters to Replace Mirages and F-5s. A Third Bid is Expected From Dassault With Its Rafale. Saab, Boeing and Dassault Were Shortlisted Last Year for F-x2 After Proposals for the Sukhoi Su-35, Lockheed Martin F-16br and Eurofighter Typhoon Were Rejected. A Decision on a Successful Bidder is Expected Later This Year.

General Atomics Has Successfully Demonstrated the Ability of Its Two-channel Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radar to Detect Slow Moving Targets. The Radar Was Modified With a Ground Moving Target Indicator (Gmti) Capability Under a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) Program.

Boeing Has Shipped the Second Wideband Global Satcom (Wgs) Satellite to Cape Canaveral for Its March Launch. The Satellite is One of a Constellation of Six That Will Provide Global X-band and Ku-band Communications Coverage. The Adf Has Funded One of the Satellites Under Project Jp2008 Phase 4 in Exchange for Access to All Six. The First Wgs Satellite Was Launched in Late 2007 and Became Operational Last Year.

the Dmo is Expected to Announce the Successful Bidder Shortly for Production of the Raaf’s Hug 2. 3 F/a-18a/b Electronic Warfare Upgrade Project. Test Aircraft Have Been Fitted With Raytheon Alr-67(V)3 Radar Warning Receivers and Have Been Successfully Tested With New Chaff and Flare Ejectors and a New Elta Jamming Pod.

the Us Navy’s Final Conventionally Powered Aircraft Carrier, the Uss ‘kitty Hawk’, Was Officially Decommissioned in a Ceremony at Bremerton Near Seattle on January 31, More Than 47 Years After It Entered Service in 1961. The ‘battle Cat’ Was Replaced Last Year as the Us Navy’s Only Forward Deployed Carrier by the Japan-based Uss ‘george Washington’.

Rolls-royce Has Been Awarded a 10 Year £198m (a$453m) Contract to Support the Rolls-royce Pegasus Turbofan Engines in the Raf’s Fleet of Bae Harrier Gr. 7/9s.

Eads North America Announced on January 28 That It Will Not Compete to Replace the Usaf’s Two 747-200-based Vc-25s With Three New Aircraft for Presidential Air Force One Duties. Eads Had Reportedly Previously Been Asked to Provide Information on the A380, A340-600 and A330-200.

Airlines

Virgin Blue Sinks to Loss on Noncash Charges

Virgin Blue Holdings Has Recorded a Net Loss After Tax of $101. 4 Million for the Six Months to December 31, Dragged Down by Lower Revenues and Costs Associated With the Start-up of V Australia and Noncash Items.

The Loss Came on an 11. 5 Per Cent Increase in Revenue to $1. 35 Billion, Although This Was as a Result of Lower Fares With Revenue Per Ask Down Four Per Cent to 10. 27 Cents. The Airline’s Underlying Net Profit – Which It Describes as the Profits From Virgin Blue and Pacific Blue – Was Down 68. 9 Per Cent to $60 Million, but Charges of $60. 6 Million for the Start-up of V Australia and an $80. 8 Million Charge for Mark-to-market Fuel and Currency Hedging Losses Tipped the Bottom Line After Tax Into the Red.

“one Standout is the Fall in the Underlying Non-fuel Cost Per Available Seat Kilometre of 1. 2 Per Cent to 6. 55 Cents – a True Testament to the Strength of Character of Our Team Who Have Risen to the Challenge and Driven Through Sustainable Cost Saving and Efficiency Gains to Deliver This Result,” Said Ceo Brett Godfrey.

Godfrey Also Said on February 23 That Despite the Recession in the Us and the Change in the Competitive Landscape on the Trans-pacific Route, V Australia Was Still Tracking Reasonably Well Ahead of the Start Service on February 27. “the Reality is That We Are Not Unhappy With What We’ve Been Seeing in the Market Come Through on Us. Loads Are Up, Yields Are Down and We’ve Got a Couple of Other Things Up Our Sleeve to Help Stimulate That Market, but We’ll Do That Within the First Month and a Half After Launch,” He Said.

For the Second Half of the Financial Year, Godfrey Said That the Airline Retained Its Outlook of Breaking Even for the Full Year, but It “would Be Challenging to Meet Breakeven,” Particularly as There Were Signs of a Major Slowdown in Domestic Flying During February, Which He Predicted Would Last for Two Years. In Light of That, He Said That the Airline Would Take a Number of Steps to Preserve Its Cash Balance, Which Sat at $526 Million at the End of the Half, Through Cost Cutting and Possible Sales and Leasebacks on Its Fleet. The Airline Was Looking at Returning Up to Six Aircraft to Lessors During the Year Ahead.

Virgin Blue Previously Announced on February 17 That It Will Cut Will Come Through Allocating Five Aircraft (Likely to Be Boeing 737-800s) as Operational Spares, Which Will Likely Not Now Be Redeployed Until Next Year. The Company Also Noted That It Will Take a Number of Initiatives to “reduce Its Headcount” by 400, Including Transferring Staff to V Australia, Moving Some Positions to Part Time and Job Share and Offering Leave Without Pay, Among Others.

Nevertheless, Godfrey Noted That Virgin Blue Could Benefit From the “flight to Value” of Corporate Accounts Looking for Lower Cost Alternatives, and Was Launching a New Campaign to Promote Its Premium Economy Product Shortly to Try and Capture a Greater Portion of the Business Market.

Qantas Profit Lower, Raises $500m

Qantas Announced That Its First Half Profit Has Dropped Substantially, While the Carrier Also Completed a $500 Million Capital Raising on February 5.

For the Half Year Ending December 31, Qantas Recorded a Consolidated Profit Before Tax of $288 Million, a Sharp 68. 2 Per Cent Decrease on the Corresponding Period Last Financial Year. Revenue Was Flat With Only a 1. 7 Per Cent Increase to $7. 92 Billion, While Operating Expenses Were 13. 4 Per Cent Higher at $6. 77 Billion Due to a Higher Average Fuel Price, Industrial Disruptions and Investment in the Qantas Brand.

Qantas Recorded a 76 Per Cent Fall in Profit Before Tax to $199 Million, Driven Mostly by a Decline in Premium Bookings Domestically. Jetstar’s Profit Was Also Lower by 48 Per Cent at $72 Million, While Qantas Freight Enterprises Recorded a Small Decline in Pbt to $41 Million. Qantas’s Loyalty Business Was a Bright Spot, With an 18 Per Cent Lift in Earnings Before Income and Taxation to $73 Million.

The Carrier Was Forced to Reveal Its Profit Earlier Than Anticipated After the Australian Securities Exchange Noted a Massive Drop in Its Share Price Between January 30 and February 2. Qantas Subsequently Placed Its Shares in a Trading Halt on February 3, Awaiting a “material Announcement”, Which Was Later Revealed to Be a Wholesale Capital Placement of $500 Million, Which Closed on February 5. The Carrier is Also Offering Existing Shareholders a Share Purchase Plan, Which Will Allow Existing Shareholders to Purchase Up to $10,000 of New Shares.

According to the Company, Qantas Will Use the Additional Funds to “enhance Financial Flexibility and Support the Fleet Renewal Program; Increase Diversity of Funding; Reduce Net Debt; and Support Qantas’s Investment Grade Credit Rating. ” However, Ratings Agency Moodys Downgraded Qantas’s Credit Rating From Baa1 to Baa2 With a Stable Outlook, Although It is Still Considered an ‘investment-grade’ Rating. According to the Ratings Agency, the Airline’s Relatively High Debt and Strained Profitability and Cashflow Were the Main Reasons for the Downgrade.

Despite the Fall in Profits for the First Half, Qantas Ceo Alan Joyce Reaffirmed Its Profit Guidance of $500 Million for the Full Year Ending June 30, Subject to No Further Deteriorations in Market Conditions.

Rex Profit Steady, but Future Looking Down

Regional Express Has Recorded a 1. 9 Per Cent Lift in Net Profit for the Six Months Ending December 31, but Has Warned That Its Forward Bookings Are Taking a Hit From the Slowing Economy.

The Carrier Registered a Profit of $10. 5 Million for the Six Months on the Back of a 5. 4 Per Cent Increase in Consolidated Revenue to $110. 9 Million. This Was Despite an 8. 9 Per Cent Decline in Passengers Carried, While Capacity in Asks Was Also Lower by 7. 1 Per Cent.

The Carrier Also Noted a 16. 1 Per Cent Increase in Fuel Costs and 2. 8 Per Cent Increase in Other Costs From Its Operations.

While the Results Were Described by Deputy Chairman John Sharp as Unique at a Time When Other Airlines Are Seeing Profits Fall, He Noted That the Next Half Will Be Tougher, With January Bookings Down by 20 Per Cent and Freight Activity at Its Pel-air Subsidiary Falling by 40 Per Cent. As a Result, the Company Expects Full Year Profit After Tax to Be Equivalent to the 2007/08 Financial Year at $24. 3 Million.

“We Will Continue to Keep a Very Close Eye on What’s Going on and We Have Defensive Strategies in Place, Which Are Managed Very Carefully by the Board, to Ensure That We Can Overcome Any Negative Impacts of the Global Financial Crisis and Come Out the Other Side in Pretty Good Shape,” Sharp Said.

Rex Also Announced That It Was Moving Its Training Operation, the Australian Airline Pilot Academy, to Wagga to Allow It to Be Closer to One of Rex’s Main Engineering and Pilot Bases From April 1. Rex Initially Started the Aapa at Mangalore Airport in Victoria as a Joint Venture With the Airport, but It Was Fully Taken Over by Rex in April Last Year.

With Its Larger Rival’s Share Price Depressed, Some Analysts Have Talked Up the Possibility of a Takeover of Virgin Blue, Which Could Be Led by Regional Express. Rex and Its Major Shareholders Are Understood to Have Been Slowly Building Up Stakes in Virgin Blue. “we Were Hoping That We Could Take a Small Strategic Interest So We Could Have Some Small Influence as to the Future of Virgin,” Rex Chairman Kim Hai Lim Said, but Gave No Indication That It Would Pursue a Buyout of the New World Carrier.

V Australia Gets Aoc V Australia Has Been Cleared to Start Its First Flights After Receiving Its Air Operator’s Certificate (Aoc) From Casa on February 19.

The Aoc Was Granted After the Airline Completed a Number of Proving Flights Throughout Eastern Australia, and Also a ‘diversion’ From a Sydney-los Angeles Flight to Auckland for a Mock Medical Emergency. V Australia Had Been Working on Gaining Its Aoc Since August 2007.

V Australia’s Executive General Manager Scott Swift Thanked Staff for Their Efforts in Gaining the Aoc, and Said, “in the Same Way Virgin Blue Forever Changed the Face of Aviation in Australia Nearly Nine Years Ago, With Our Aoc in Hand, Today Marks the Beginning of the New Era of Trans-pacific Flying as V Australia Lifts the Standard for Product, Service and Affordability on This Market. ” Virgin Blue Earlier Took Delivery of Its First Boeing 777-300er on February 7, With the Aircraft, Vh-voz, Arriving in Sydney Two Days Later.

V Australia’s First Flight From Sydney to Los Angeles Took Off on February 27, Ahead of Brisbane-la Services From April 8. The Airline Also Announced on February 7 That It Will Start Three Times Weekly Service on the Melbourne-la From September 15.

Jetstar in, Jetconnect Out in Domestic Nz as Foreshadowed Last Year, Jetstar Has Announced That It Will Start Domestic Services in New Zealand From June, Taking Over Services From Qantas’s Jetconnect Subsidiary Which Will Now Focus on Trans-tasman Operations.

“the Dynamics of the New Zealand Domestic and Trans-tasman Markets… Are Unique and Particularly in the Current Environment, We Need to Be Flexible to Ensure We Remain Competitive,” Said Qantas Group Ceo Alan Joyce. “this Means Applying Our Two Brand Strategy and Utilising the Right Airline, With the Right Cost Base and Product, for the Right Market, to Offer Competitive, Sustainable Services. ” From June 10, Jetstar Will Commence Flying on Five Routes Between Auckland and Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown With Two 177-seat Airbus A320s. A Third A320 Will Enter Service on June 24 and Allow the Carrier to Start Christchurch-wellington and Christchurch-queenstown.

“jetstar’s Expansion Into Domestic Flying Within New Zealand is a Further Significant Growth Milestone to Become the Asia Pacific Region’s Leading Low Fares Airline,” Said Jetstar Ceo Bruce Buchanan at the Launch of the Commercial Announcement of the New Services on February 17.

While the Qantas Brand Will No Longer Be Flown Within New Zealand, Qantas’s Jetconnect Subsidiary Will Be Retained and Receive New Boeing 737-800s to Replace the Current Fleet of Classics, and Will Operate Flights Across the Tasman. The Jetconnect 737s Will Feature Personal in-flight Entertainment in Both the Business Class and Economy Cabins, With the First Due to Arrive in September. Customers With Tickets for Domestic Jetconnect Services Will Be Reaccommodated on Jetstar Flights.

Qantas Makes Changes to China, India

Qantas is Making a Number of Adjustments to Its Flights to China and Its Service to Mumbai.

Effective March 31, Qantas Will Cut Its Twice Weekly Melbourne-shanghai Service, but Will Increase Its Sydney-shanghai Service to a Daily Frequency. Qantas Will Also Cease Its Three Times Weekly Sydney-beijing Service From April 17.

As Well as the Changes to Its Chinese Services, Qantas Announced That From Mid May Its Three Times Weekly Sydney-mumbai Service Will Operate via Singapore. This Will Allow for Connections From a Number of Other Capitals on Qantas’s Sole Service to India.

“these Changes Are About Adjusting Our Schedules to Meet the Needs of Those Markets Alongside Our Own Need to Generate Reasonable Returns on Our Operations,” Said Qantas Ceo Alan Joyce, Who Nevertheless Maintained That Both China and India Were Both Still Key Business and Leisure Markets for Qantas.

Skyairworld ‘pauses’ to Restructure

Brisbane Based Charter and Rpt Airline Skyairworld Announced on February 22 Its Decision to Temporarily “pause All Flying Operations in the Short Term” as It Bids to Restructure Its Organisation.

“we Remain Committed to Our Customers, Our Staff and Our Suppliers and Will Work With All Parties in the Coming Weeks as Part of Our Restructuring Process,” Skyairworld Ceo David Charlton Said in a Statement. “this Prudent Decision Was Made With Careful Consideration. Skyairworld Deeply Regrets the Impact This Decision Will Have on Our Customers and Staff”.

This Latest Announcement Came After the Airline Had Already Laid Off 40 Staff and Suspended Its Erj-145 Operations on February 16. Skyairworld Had Started Brisbane-cloncurry-cairns Services Last October With the Two Former Lot Polish Airlines Erj -145s, and Said the Service Had Become Unviable. The Aircraft Are Currently Parked at Cairns.

Skyairworld Says It is Still Committed to the Launch of Services to Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands From Perth With E-190s From April 3. It Also Received an Allocation to Fly Darwin-denpasar Services From the Iasc on January 22, but at the Time of Writing There Were No Details Available About the Planned Services.

Sia Trims Fleet, Routes as Profit Drops

Singapore Airlines Announced Plans to Remove 17 Aircraft From Its Fleet This Year and Continue to Make Cuts to Its Route Network After the Carrier Announced a 43 Per Cent Fall in Quarterly Profit.

For the Three Months Ending December 31, the Singapore Airlines Group Recorded a Profit of S$337m (a$343m), as Revenue Fell 2. 6 Per Cent to S$4. 16bn (a$4. 22bn), While Expenditure Increased by 5. 7 Per Cent to S$3. 8bn (a$3. 86bn).

Sia Said That It Would Reduce Capacity by Taking the 17 Aircraft Out of Its Fleet (Likely Older Boeing 777-200s and 747-400s) Between April This Year and March 2010, and Has Not Ruled Out the Possibility of Deferring Aircraft Deliveries. Sia Had Previously Planned to Remove Four Aircraft Over the Same Period Before the Recession Struck.

With the Planned Reduction in Capacity, the Airline is Suspending Its Singapore-seoul-vancouver Services From April 25frequencies to Some Destinations in Europe and Asia Will Be Reduced, While Brisbane, Perth, Nagoya and Rome Are Set to Lose Some Seasonal Services for the Northern Summer Scheduling Period. Nevertheless, the Carrier is Boosting Some Frequencies to the Middle East.

Sia’s Ceo Chew Choon Seng Said That the Airline Was Also Engaging With Its Unions on Measures It Could Take on Staffing, and Has Not Ruled Out Possible Retrenchments.

Carriers Move in on Former Macair Routes Skytrans, West Wing Aviation and Qantaslink Have Been Awarded Emergency Contracts to Operate Former Macair Routes After the Airline’s Receiver Announced on February 6 That It Would Wind Up the Airline and Sell Off Its Assets.

Under the Six Month Contracts, Skytrans Will Operate the Gulf Route From Cairns and Western Route 1 and 2, Which Operte From Brisbane. West Wing Aviation Commenced Services on the Longreach-winton-townsville and Mt Isa-julia Creek-richmond-hughenden-townsville Routes From March 2, While Qantaslink Took Over the Mount Isa-cloncurry-townsville Route From March 9. Qantaslink Will Also Commence Unsubsidised Services on the Townsville-mount Isa Direct Route From March 2.

All the Former Macair Routes Will Be Re-tendered by the Queensland Government Over the Next Six Months, With the Winners Given a Five Year License on the Six Subsidised Routes.

Separately, Regional Express Announced on February 19 That Its Pel-air Subsidiary Had Won a Contract to Provide Flights to an Undisclosed Mining Company Which Was a Client of Macair With Two Saab 340s Based in Townsville. Rex’s Managing Director Jim Davis Told Australian Aviation That the Carrier Would Also Examine Tendering for Some of the Subsidised Routes, Added That There Were “no Immediate Plans for the Airline to Start Rpt Operations in Queensland. ”

Qantas Could Slow A380 Deliveries, Cancel 787s Qantas Could Defer Some Airbus A380 Orders and Even Cancel Boeing 787 Orders Should the Financial Situation Deteriorate and the Airline Need to Defer Capital Spending, Ceo Alan Joyce Has Told the ‘business Spectator’ Website in a Wide-ranging Interview.

“we Also Have Been Managing the Flexibility Within the Fleet and We’re Keeping an Eye on How Conditions Actually Continue Because We Do Have a Lot of Fleet Flexibility Dependent on Those Conditions,” Joyce Said in the Interview Published on February 13.

Qantas Has Been “in Discussions With Airbus About Moving Some of the (A380) Aircraft Timing to Optimise the Deliveries”. However, the Qantas Ceo Also Stressed the A380’s Importance to the Airline’s Long Term Plans, Describing It as “a Necessity Going Forward”.

Joyce Also Revealed That Qantas Had the Flexibility to Cancel Some of Its 787 Orders. “for Example, the 787s Are Now So Delayed That We in Our Contract Could Walk Away From Each of Those Aircraft, the First 15, as They Come Up on a Month by Month Basis Over the Next Year or So, and That Could Reduce Capital Expenditure Significantly. ” the First 15 787s Qantas Has on Order Are 787-8s Which Are Due to Be Operated by Jetstar.

Joyce Said, “we Are Managing Flexibility in the Fleets and There’s a Lot of Flexibility There Which Allows Us to Defer Aircraft if We Believe That’s a Necessity as Well. ”

Townsville Big Winner in Vb E-jet Re-jig

Virgin Blue is to Start a Number of New Services From Townsville and Canberra With Embraer E-jets.

The Bulk of the Flights Will Come From Townsville, With New Services From the Far Northern City to the Gold Coast, Cairns and Rockhampton, While the Carrier Will Also Introduce Services From Canberra to Townsville and Hobart. All Flights Are Scheduled as Daily Return Services and Will Commence From April 6.

“the Redeployment of Some of Our Embraer Fleet to Previously Un-serviced Routes is Great News for These Ports, in Particular Townsville Which Has Jagged Four Out of the Five New Services, Because It Means More Convenient, Regular and Affordable Direct Air Services Which Will Provide Plenty of Choice for Travellers,” Said Virgin Blue Ceo Brett Godfrey.

“the Only Removal of a Service is the Brisbane-launceston Seasonal Service and Some Ad-hoc Extra Services,” a Vb Spokeswoman Confirmed to Aa.

Pacific Blue to Up Perth-bali Services

Pacific Blue Lodged an Application With the International Air Services Commission to Increase Its Services on Its Perth-denpasar (Bali) Route From March.

According to the Application Document, Which is Dated February 5, the Airline Has Requested an Additional 720 Seats Each Way, Each Week on the Indonesia Route, and is Planning to Add Another Two Frequencies on the Route From an Unspecified Date in March With a Further Two in April. All Services Are Proposed to Be Operated by 180-seat Boeing 737-800s.

Pacific Blue Currently Serves Denpasar From Perth Four Times a Week, as Well as Adelaide and Brisbane.

According to the Latest Data From the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics, Passenger Numbers Have Increased by 55 Per Cent on the Route Between November 2007 and November 2008 as Tourists Return to the Popular Resort Island. Currently, Garuda Indonesia, Ozjet, Jetstar and Pacific Blue Combined Offer Over 30 Return Flights a Week Between Perth and Denpasar.

Jetstar to Interline

Cut Fuel Surcharges Jetstar Will Begin Interlining Arrangements With Other Airlines From Mid March Following the Airline’s Upgrade to the Newskies Computer Reservation System.

The Airline Successfully Completed the Newskies Implementation Over the Weekend of February 6-8, Which Required It to Run Solely on Manual Processes During That Time. With the Upgrade to the New System, Jetstar Will Initially Interline With Qantas, Allowing Qantas and Jetstar Flight Segments to Be Combined on a Single Ticket. Other Airlines Will Be Added in Due Course.

“our Established Interline Agreements Will Provide a Seamless Booking Process for Both Our Airline Customers and Agents Wanting to Expand Their Selling Network Within the Australian Domestic Market and Across the Asia Pacific Whilst Offering a Normal Settlement Process,” Said Jetstar Ceo Bruce Buchanan.

Jetstar Said That the New Crs Should Make Its Online Booking Process More Stable, Particularly at Times When There is a Major Increase in Volumes, Such as Fare Sales. The New System Will Also Add New Functions, Such as Being Able to Combine Car Rental and Hotel Bookings on the Same Itinerary as Flights.

Australian Carriers Losing Share of International Market International Passenger Numbers Dropped and Australian Carriers Lost Market Share in the International Market During November 2008, According to Statistics From the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics.

Overall, the Statistics Show There Was a 0. 9 Per Cent Decrease in International Scheduled Passenger Numbers to 1. 885 Million, Making November 2008 Only the Second Month During 2008 to Show a Decrease in Month on Month Traffic. This Was Despite a 5. 7 Per Cent Increase in the Number of Seats to Australia, and Resulted in International Load Factors Falling by 5 Percentage Points to 72. 4 Per Cent.

The Figures Show That Australian Designated Airlines Carried 32. 5 Per Cent of All International Passengers, but This Was 1. 2 Percentage Points Lower Than November 2007. Of These, Qantas and Jetstar Recorded Falls of 1. 8 and 0. 2 Percentage Points Respectively, Although Together the Qantas Group Still Remains the Biggest International Carrier, With a Combined Market Share of 30. 3 Per Cent. Growing Services by Pacific Blue During November (Which Accounted for 4. 7 Per Cent Market Share), as Well as Contributions From Airnorth (0. 1 Per Cent), Ozjet (0. 1 Per Cent) and Skyairworld (Less Than 0. 1 Per Cent) Also Contributed Positively to the Data for Australian Carriers.

Of the Foreign Carriers, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Garuda Indonesia All Recorded Slight Increases in Market Share (Less Than One Per Cent). Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways’ Share of the Market Dropped Slightly to Leave Them With 3. 7 and 3. 4 Per Cent Respectively.

Oneworld Celebrates Ten Years the Oneworld Airline Alliance, Which Includes Qantas, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific and British Airways Among Its Members, Celebrated Its 10th Anniversary on February 3, and Announced a Number of New Initiatives for the Alliance.

“the Decade to Come Will Bring Additional Challenges, So We’re Going to Work Even Harder to Make Sure Oneworld Creates Value for Our Member Airlines and Delivers More Services and Benefits to Our Customers – Hopefully With the Benefit Later This Year of Anti-trust Immunity Between Our Transatlantic Oneworld Partners, Enabling Us to Compete on More Equal Terms With Other Alliances,” Said Oneworld Supervisory Board Chairman and American Airlines Chairman and Ceo Gerard Arpey.

“today My Colleagues and I Renewed Our Commitment for Oneworld to Further Integrate the Alliance and All Its Activities More Closely Into Our Own Airlines in Every Area – Enabling Us to Unlock Even More of the Alliance’s Potential for All Its Stakeholders,” He Added.

As Part of the Celebrations, Oneworld Reduced the Price of Its Fare Products (Including Round the World Fares) by 10 Per Cent for 10 Weeks. It Also Launched a New ‘circle Atlantic’ Fare Offering Travel Through Europe, the Middle East and the Americas.

Arpey Also Announced That Member Airlines of the Alliance Would Adorn a Proportion of Their With Special Oneworld Titles Against the Regular Livery of the Member Airline.

Air Nz Cuts Sydney-dunedin

Air New Zealand Announced on February 2 That It Will Cut Its Twice Weekly Dunedin-sydney Services Between April 16 and October 24, While It Will Also Cut Its Frequency on the Dunedin-brisbane Route From May to July.

Anz ’s General Manager for the Pacific and Tasman Glen Sowry Blamed the Reductions on Continuously Poor Loads on the Route, Saying That the Airline Was Flying the Equivalent of 25 Empty A320s From Dunedin to Sydney in the Three Months to February.

Air New Zealand Inherited Its Flights Across the Tasman From Dunedin as a Result of Folding Former Budget Arm Freedom Air Back Into the Mainline Airline. Over Time, a Number of Routes From Hamilton, Palmerston North and Dunedin Have Been Progressively Cut.

Qantas’s Quest for Service Excellence

Qantas Airways Has Opened Its $10 Million Centre of Service Excellence Training Facility in Sydney, Which is Aimed at Providing Customer Service Training for Frontline Staff Across the Qantas Group.

“the Establishment of This New, Dedicated Centre of Service Excellence Allows Us to Bring Together the Current Elements of Our Training With Additional Modules Developed With Our New Fleet and Ground Product in Mind,” Executive General Manager John Borghetti Said in Launching the Centre on January 28.

Approximately 130 Staff, From Cabin Crew and Pilots to Telephone Sales and Airport Staff, Will Undertake Training in the Centre Three Times Each Week. The 5000sq M Facility in Alexandria, Near Sydney Airport, Features ‘customer Experience Zones’ Dedicated to the Airline’s Different Cabin Class Products; a 126-seat Auditorium; Four Cabin Crew ‘training Pods’; an ‘innovation Zone’ “designed to Capture Employees’ Ideas and Initiatives for Exceptional Service”; and Learning and Development and Presentation Rooms.

“qantas Has Set a Wide Range of Industry Benchmarks With the Launch of Its State-of-the-art A380 Aircraft, First Lounges and Other Domestic and International Product Upgrades, and We Are Committed to Continuing to Refine Our Service Style in Keeping With That Investment,” Borghetti Said.

Air Nz Volumes Lower in December as Accc Blocks Codeshare Air New Zealand Has Recorded a Drop in Passenger Numbers of 5. 1 Per Cent for December 2008 and Has Also Had an Application to Allow It to Codeshare With Air Canada on the Sydney-vancouver Route Rejected.

During December, the New Zealand Airline Carried 1. 2 Million Passengers During December, Which Dragged Down Rpks by 8. 3 Per Cent. However, a 7. 5 Per Cent Decline in Capacity Helped Offset the Lower Passenger Numbers to Bring Load Factor in at 80. 2 Per Cent, Only Marginally Lower Than the Same Time Last Year. The Biggest Falls Were Felt on North American Routes, Where Passenger Traffic Was Lower by 15 Per Cent.

The Kiwi Carrier Also Suffered a Setback on January 27 When the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Denied Authorisation of a Proposed Codeshare Agreement With Air Canada, Citing Concerns of Reduced Competition.

Air New Zealand Said in a Statement to the Australian Securities Exchange on January 30 That It Was in Discussions With Air Canada as to Whether the Airlines Would Challenge the Decision in the Australian Competition Tribunal.

Domestic Passenger Numbers Up Through 2008

Despite the First Signs of Economic Slowdown and Moves by the Airlines to Cut Capacity, There Was Still Noticeable Growth in Domestic Passenger Numbers Last Year According to New Data From the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (Bitre).

Year End Figures From Bitre’s December Domestic Airline Activity Report Show That Compared to 2007, There Was a 6. 9 Per Cent Increase in Passenger Traffic, With 50. 46 Million Passengers Taking to the Sky Over the Year. And Despite Moves by Qantas and Virgin Blue to Cut Capacity During the Latter Half of the Year, Cumulative Asks Were Up by 10. 3 Per Cent, Resulting in Overall Load Factor Slipping by 1. 9 Percentage Points to 77. 9 Per Cent.

For the Month of December, There Was a 3. 0 Per Cent Increase in Passenger Movements, While Capacity Rose by 3. 4 Per Cent. Load Factor Declined by 1. 8 Points to 78. 5 Per Cent.

The Increased Passenger Numbers Correspond With a Drop in Bitre’s Domestic Air Fares Index During December, Which Would Seem to Indicate That the Airlines Lowered Their Fares to Stimulate Passenger Traffic as the Economy Started to Slow.

Emirates to Continue Expanding

Bucking the Global Trend, Emirates Has Announced That It Still Plans to Take Delivery of 18 Widebody Aircraft This Year and Start a Number of New Services Over the Year.

Between Now and March 31 2010, Emirates Will Add Seven Airbus A380s, 10 Boeing 777-300ers, One 777-200lr and One 777 Freighter.

“the Next Year is Not Going to Be an Easy Ride for the Airline Industry,” Emirates’ Chairman Hh Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-maktoum Said. “emirates Has Prepared the Best We Can for the Challenges We Foresee, but We Also See It as a Time of Opportunity. 2009, With Our Significant Capacity Increase, Will Be a Year of Consolidation for Us, With Fewer New Routes Launched Than in Previous Years.

“instead, We Will Concentrate on Strengthening Our Presence on Routes Where There is a Greater Demand From Our Customers. All of Our New Capacity Will Be Deployed in Markets Where We See Growth Potential, Particularly Africa and the Middle East. ” the Extra Capacity Has Allowed Emirates to Increase Its Capacity and Frequency on Routes to Australia, With Brisbane and Melbourne to Receive an Additional Daily Service From February 1, While It Will Add an Additional Daily Flight to Sydney Later This Year. The Dubai-sydney-auckland Route Which is Operated by the A380 Three Times Weekly Will Also Receive a Boost From May 1, With an Upgrade to Daily A380 Services. Emirates is Also Planning to Deploy the A380 on Services to Seoul and Singapore in November and December Respectively.

Airline Briefs

Tiger Airways Recorded the Best on Time Departure Performance of the Four Major Carriers During December, With an on Time Rate of 85. 9 Per Cent, Followed by Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Blue. Skywest Was the Best Performing Regional Airline With 86. 1 Per Cent of Its Flights Departing on Time, Followed by Qantaslink and Rex.

Skywest Will Resume Services to Darwin From April 1 Four Times a Week, With the Flights Operating via Broome and/or Kununurra. Equipment Will Be a 100-seat Fokker 100 Jet.

Qantas is Adding Three Flights Per Week on Its Perth-darwin and Adelaide-darwin Routes to Bring Them Both to 10 Services a Week. The Additional Flights, Which Will Be Operated by Boeing 737-800s, Will Commence in Mid June.

American Airlines Has Launched an Australian Version of Its Aa. Com Website. The Website Will Feature Content and Pricing More Related to Australian Travellers.

Qantas Will Increase the Number of A380 Services on the Sydney-london Route to Five Per Week From June 7 and Six Per Week on the Sydney – Los Angeles Route. Qantas Will Receive Its Fourth A380 in May, With Three Others Scheduled to Arrive During 2009.

United Airlines Has Launched New Lie Flat Seats in First and Business Class on Its Boeing 747-400 Services From Australia to the Us. Passengers in These Classes Will Also Gain Ipod Connectivity, on-demand Ife and Premium Meal Selections.

Japan Air Lines is Reportedly Seeking Jpy200bn (a$3. 32bn) in Low Interest Loans From the Japanese Government as the Carrier Battles Falling Passenger Numbers and Revenues. It is Understood That the Funds Would Be Use to Satisfy Bond Redemptions and Capital Expenditure This Year.

Ryanair Has Started Offering Inflight Mobile Phone Connectivity on 20 of Its Boeing 737-800s. Ryanair is Using the Sita/airbus Onair System, and Will Trial Its Potential as a Source of Ancillary Revenue for the Airline.

Singapore Airlines Carried Its One Millionth Passenger on the Airbus A380 Fleet on February 18. The Lucky Passenger, Royston Pollard, Was Flying From London to Singapore and Won a Series of Prizes From the Airline.

Jetstar is Cutting All Fuel Surcharges on Its International Services on Tickets Issued From Australia and New Zealand. Surcharges Will Remain on Tickets Issued in Japan.

Tiger Airways Has Signed an Agreement With Webjet. Com. Au to Allow Passengers to Book Through the Webjet Online Booking Engine From February 17.

Regional Express Set Aside $200,000 in a Fund to Provide Air Fares and Other Assistance for Victims of the Victorian Bushfires. Rex is Also Collecting Money on Board All Flights for Charities Involved in the Bushfire Relief Efforts, and Will Match All Contributions With Money From the Fund.

Etihad Airways Says It Has Seen a 106 Per Cent Increase in Passengers to and From Australia During 2008. Etihad Will Add Melbourne to Its Network From March 30 With a Daily Service, in Addition to Its 11 Flights a Week to Sydney and Three Flights a Week to Brisbane From Abu Dhabi.

Qantas Donated $200,000 to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund on February 9. Both Qantas and Jetstar Have Also Placed Links on Their Websites to Charities Involved in the Appeal.

Jetstar Commenced Services From Perth to Adelaide on February 2 and Perth-cairns on February 6. Frequencies on the Routes Are Daily and Three Times Weekly, Respectively.

Singapore Airlines is Reducing Its Fuel Surcharge on Flights to and From Australia to Us$95 (a$147) for First Class, Us$85 (a$131) in Business and Us$75 (a$116) in Economy. The Airline is Also Adjusting Its Surcharges on Other Routes Across Its Network.

Virgin Blue Celebrated Its First Anniversary of Services on the Canberra-sydney and Canberra-gold Coast Services on February 5 by Launching a 1000 Seat $1 Fare Sale on Four of Its Regional Routes (Including Port Macquarie-sydney and Albury-sydney). The Fares Were Put on Sale for One Hour From 8pm Est for One Hour on February 5.

Full and Restricted Economy Airfares During February 2009 Largely Remained Static Compared to the Same Time Last Year, While Business Class Has Risen Slightly and Best Discount Economy Fares Have Dropped, According to Bitre’s Domestic Air Fare Index. Best Discount Fares Dropped to 62. 8 Points, Compared to 77. 8 for February 2008.

Japan Air Lines Said on February 3 That It is Considering a Cut in International Capacity of Up to 10 Per Cent and Two to Three Per Cent of Its Domestic Capacity. Reports Have Also Said That Jal May Seek Aid From the Japanese Government.

Australia Has Formally Ratified the Montreal Convention, Which Provides for Tougher Liabilities on Airlines in the Event of the Death or Injury of a Passenger, Loss or Damage of Freight or Baggage and Delays to Scheduled Arrivals of Passengers, Freight and Baggage. Under the Convention Airlines Will Be Liable for All Proven Damage, Rather Than a Capped Liability System Which Had Previously Operated.

British Airways Will Offer Onair Mobile Phone Service on the A318s Which Will Operate Its Business Class Only Services From London City-new York Jfk. Ba Will Commence the Twice Daily Flights at an Unnamed Date Later This Year.

Airnorth Commenced Services With Its Embraer E-170 on the Darwin-dili Route Five Times a Week From January 12.

the International Air Services Commission Has Granted Authority to Virgin Blue to Allow V Australia to Codeshare on Services Operated by Pacific Blue Between Australia and New Zealand.

Jetstar Has Signed a Three Year $1 Million Sponsorship of Tennis Player Jelena Dokic. Under the Deal, Dokic Will Fly Jetstar to a Number of Tournaments.

Malaysia Airlines Removed Its Fuel Surcharges on Its Flights to Singapore and Brunei From January 30, and Reduced Its Surcharge Routes to Australia and New Zealand by Up to Us$210 (a$319) From February 1. Other Reductions in the Surcharge Will Also Take Place From February 1 Across the Mas Network.

Lan Airlines Reported a Us$335. 7m (a$509. 2m) Profit for 2008, an 8. 9 Per Cent Increase on the Year Before. The Higher Profit Was Driven by a Strong Result During the Fourth Quarter of Us$232. 3m (a$352. 4m).

Garuda Indonesia Plans to Commence 18 New Routes This Year as a Result of the Arrival of 14 Boeing 737-800s in Mid 2009, Including a New Weekly Flight From Denpasar-adelaide From February 24. The Majority of the New Services Will Be Domestic Flights Between Key Cities Across the Indonesian Archipelago.

Environment

Ba Aims to Cut Co2 in Half by 2050

British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh Announced on January 27 That the Airline Has Set a Goal of Halving Its Net Carbon Dioxide Emissions by 2050.

Walsh Said the Airline Aimed to Meet the Aggressive Target Through Investments in New, More Efficient Aircraft, Alternative Fuels and More Efficient Routings to Cut Down Its Net Carbon Output to Eight Million Tonnes Per Annum by 2050. “we Have Taken Climate Change Issues Very Seriously for a Long Time,” He Said. “more Than a Decade Ago, We Became the First Airline to Publish Fuel Efficiency Targets – and We Have Achieved an Improvement Since Then of Almost 30 Per Cent. ” Walsh Also Talked About Encouraging “the Spread of Emissions Trading From Europe to the Whole World” as One of the Initiatives That Ba Would Be Supporting. Ba Has Previously Opposed Moves by the Eu to Include Aviation in Its Emissions Trading Scheme. Many Other Airlines Have Also Been Opposed to Individual Country Emissions Trading Schemes Extending Out to All Carriers, Such as the Eu’s Proposed Scheme, With Many – Including Iata – Pushing Instead for an International Pact on Aviation Emissions Through Icao.

Environment Briefs

Japan Air Lines Successfully Conducted Its First Biofuel Test Flight on January 30. A Jal 747-300’s Number Three Engine Was Powered by a Mix of Jet Fuel and Biofuel Derived From a Mix of Jatropha, Algae and Camelina, Making It the First Test of a Tri-blend Biofuel.

Alenia Aeronautica Has Thrown Its Support Behind a Project Led by Turin Polytechnic to Produce a Single Engine Aircraft Which Can Be Powered Solely by Hydrogen. Under the ‘skyspark’ Project, the Polytechnic Hopes to Break a Number of Speed and Range Records From Its Hydrogen Fuel Cell.

the Boeing Company Announced on February 18 That It Had Received Iso 14001 Environmental Certification for All Its Major Manufacturing Facilities. The Company Achieved the Milestone at the End of 2008.

Airports

Int ’l Pax Traffic Still Growing at Mel Melbourne Airport Reported a 4. 5 Per Cent Increase in International Passenger Traffic During January, Despite Concerns About the Economic Climate.

Passenger Numbers Show That There Was a Major Growth in Passengers Travelling on Chinese, Hong Kong and Taiwanese Passports, Suggesting That Many Travelled Through the Airport to Attend Lunar New Year Celebrations in Those Countries. New Zealand, Which is the Largest Foreign Market, Also Delivered an Impressive Nine Per Cent Growth.

Akl Profit Drops Auckland International Airport Limited Has Seen Its Net Profit for the Half Ending December 31 Drop by 79. 4 Per Cent, Driven Down Mostly by Accounting Charges.

For the Six Months, the Airline’s After Tax Profit Was Nz$9. 8m (a$7. 8m), on Revenue of Nz$184m (a$146m), Which Was an Increase of 6. 8 Per Cent Compared to the Same Period Last Financial Year. Key Factors That Dragged Down the Airport’s Profit Figure Include a Nz$41. 8m (a$33m) Charge for Investment Property Devaluation and a 22. 7 Per Cent Increase in Costs. Excluding the Property Devaluation, the Company’s Profit After Tax Was Actually Up by 8. 3 Per Cent to Nz$51. 6m (a$40. 8m).

Total Passenger Volumes Were Up by 2. 0 Per Cent to 6. 63 Million, Thanks Mostly to Growth in Domestic Services, as International Passenger Numbers Were Down by 1. 2 Per Cent.

The Airport Said That It Expects Passenger Volumes to Be Lower Again During the Next Half as the Global Economic Slowdown Continues to Affect Travel. Nevertheless, the Airport Gave Guidance That It Expects Its Earnings Before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation to Show Growth Over the Year.

Rail, Freight Key to Canberra

Canberra International Airport Has Released Its Latest Draft Master Plan (Dmp) for Public Comment, Citing the Possibilities of Acting as a Second Airport for the Greater Sydney Basin With a Fast Rail Link, as Well as a Role as a Freight Hub as the Main Focuses for the Airport.

In the Dmp, Which Outlines the Airport’s Growth Ambitions Over the Next 20 Years, the Airport Forecasts a 4. 2 Per Cent Increase in Passengers Annually With 7. 25 Million Passengers Expected to Pass Through the Airport by 2029/30. The Plan Also Expects That the Airport May Cater for Up to 15 Freight Movements Each Night. Other Highlights Include an Expected Expansion for Regular International Flights Across the Tasman and to an Asian Hub, as Well as a Growth in Regional Services From the Airport.

To Accommodate This Growth, the Airport Expects to Continue Its Terminal Redevelopment Program This Year, as Well as the Construction of New Carparks, Warehouse Facilities and Additional Aeronautical and Landside Infrastructure.

As the Airport Has Asserted Before, an Infrastructure Australia Shortlisted Plan to Build a High Speed Rail Link Between Sydney and Canberra, as Well as Its Curfew-free Operations, Could Place It in the Right Position to Complement Sydney Airport. “the Cost of Developing a New International Airport Facility Outside the Sydney Basin at a Location Between Canberra and Sydney, With a Dedicated High Speed Rail Link to Sydney, Would Be Substantially Greater Than Extending a High Speed Rail Line to Canberra and Utilising Existing Airport Facilities at Canberra Airport,” Said the Airport’s Managing Director Steven Byron.

The Dmp is Open for Public Comment Until May 8, and is Available on the Airport’s Website.

Growing Airports Require More Infrastructure According to the Feature in the Latest Issue of Bitre‘s Avline Journal, the Forecast Growth at Airports Across Australia Will Require Significant Investments in Infrastructure.

The Analysis by Bitre Shows That With the Exception of International Passenger Traffic, Hobart Airport Saw the Biggest Increase in Total Passenger Numbers in the 10 Years From 1997/08 to 2007/08, With the Tasmanian Capital Airport Registering Growth of 105. 9 Per Cent, Followed by Perth (93. 6 Per Cent) and Brisbane (87. 9 Per Cent). Over the Same Period, the Average Annual Passenger Growth Rate Across the Country Was 5. 5 Per Cent.

As Published Last Year in a Separate Paper, Bitre Has Forecast That by 2025/26, Total Passenger Numbers Will Increase by an Average of Four Per Cent at All Airports, Bringing the Total Number of Passengers Passing Through Terminals to 227. 9 Million, Growth of 88. 6 Per Cent on Current Figures.

The Strongest Growth is to Occur at Perth Airport, Thanks to Steady Increases in Both Domestic and International Flying From the Western Australian Capital. The Biggest Increase in International Passenger Movements is Expected in Adelaide, Followed by Perth and Darwin. Overall, It is Expected That Perth , Brisbane and Darwin Will Grow at Higher Annual Rates Compared to Other Capital City Airports.

With Total Passenger Traffic Expected to Double by 2025/26, Bitre Identified a Number of Airports Which Have Commenced Plans to Build More Airside and Landside Infrastructure to Cope With the Increase. The Report Also Noted That Transport to and From Airports Will Also Require Upgrades. “the Forecast Growth in Air Traffic Also Calls for a Coordinated Response to Improve Landside Transport Links Between Airports and City Centres in Order to Facilitate Future Increases in Passenger Movements to and From Airports,” It Said.

Darwin, Brisbane Get Approvals for Terminal Upgrades

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese Announced on February 5 That He Has Given Approval for Proposed Expansions of the Domestic Terminals at Brisbane and Darwin Airports.

Brisbane Has Received Approval for the Construction of a New Single Storey Check-in Pavilion and a Reconfiguration of the Roads Around the Terminal, as Well as a New Energy Plant and a Significant Expansion of the Aircraft Parking Capacity. “we Will Continue to Work With Our Airline Partners and With the Government to Ensure We Continue to Stay Ahead of the Game When It Comes to Building Efficient, Modern and Timely Airport Infrastructure,” Said Brisbane Airport Corporation Spokesperson Jim Carden.

Darwin Has Also Received Approval for a $60 Million Works Program to Expand Its Domestic Terminal, Which Will Expand the Current Terminal Floor Space by 65 Per Cent in a Modern Three Storey Building Adjacent to the Current Terminal. It Will Also Feature Five New Aircraft Parking Bays and Relocate the Staff Car Park Area. “we Are Ready to Award Tenders and Could Start Construction Later This Year,” Darwin Airport Ceo Ian Kew Said. “however, Given the Economic Uncertainty, We Have Halted Design Until We Are Confident the Project Can Proceed. ” Kew Also Said That the Airport Had Not Yet Reached Agreement With the Airlines on an Increase in Charges to Help Fund the New Terminal.

Flat Year for Airports Globally Worldwide Passenger Growth Was Largely Flat for 2008 Thanks to the Sagging Economic Environment, According to a New Report by the Airports Council International.

Over the Year, Aci’s Preliminary Statistics Show That International Passenger Growth Was Subdued at Only 2. 1 Per Cent Compared to 2007, While Domestic Passenger Numbers Contracted by 2. 6 Per Cent. Freight Numbers Were Lower, With Total Freight Volumes Contracting by 4. 3 Per Cent as Both International (-3. 2 Per Cent) and Domestic (-6. 7 Per Cent) Recorded Falls.

Figures for December Showed That the Worldwide Economic Crisis is Having a Major Impact on Airports, With International Passenger Traffic Volumes Down by 5. 7 Per Cent. Major Falls in Passenger Traffic Were Felt at Major Hub Airports, Including Bangkok (-42 Per Cent, Due in Large Part to Protestor Blockades), London Gatwick (-14 Per Cent), Incheon (-13 Per Cent) and Tokyo Narita (-10 Per Cent), While Dubai Rose by Five Per Cent Thanks to an Increase in Middle East Traffic. A Fall in Domestic Passenger Volumes of 6. 0 Per Cent Was Felt Particularly in North America, With Major City Airports Reporting Double Digit Falls, Although a 22 Per Cent Increase in Domestic Traffic Through Beijing Helped to Reduce the Loss.

Aci World Director General Angela Gittens Said, “December Terminated a Turbulent and Sobering Year for the Airport Industry. A Very Promising First Quarter Was Followed by Steadily Decreasing Demand, Resulting in a Flat Finish for the Year. ” While the Year Ahead Will Be Challenging, Aci is Expecting That the Downward Cycle for Passenger Traffic Will Hit Its Nadir in the First Quarter of 2009 and Then Stabilise for the Rest of the Year. “the Aviation Industry Has Experienced and Survived Economic Cycles and Crises in the Past. The Long Term Forecast for Traffic Growth Remains Basically Unchanged,” Said Gittens. “we Must Work Closely With Our Aviation Partners, Despite Current Setbacks, to Prepare for the Resurgence of Global Markets.

Chris Milne

Adelaide Airport Ltd is Considering Investments Which Could Amount to $900 Million Under Its New Five-year Master Plan.

The Company Began Its Public Consultations on the Concepts at the Beginning of March, Following a 12-month Strategic Review, and Expects to Have a Firm Blueprint for Its Future by Mid-year.

By Then, It Also Hopes to Have a Timetable for the Developments, Which Will Include an Expansion of Terminal One, With at Least Two More Gates and Additional Aircraft Parking Areas; a Multi-storey Car Park for About 2000 Vehicles to Replace Present Scattered, Inadequate Facilities; and a Long-sought Airport Hotel.

Under the Proposals, the Front of the T1 Terminal Will Be Redesigned to Accommodate a “plaza Forecourt” Incorporating, Possibly, an Exhibition Space.

Aviation Enthusiasts Have Been Pushing for a New Home for the Vickers Vimy in Which Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith and Crew Made the First Flight From England to Australia in 1919, With the Historic Aircraft Exhibit Now Stranded Behind the Old Domestic Terminal. There Are Hopes It Will Be Relocated to the New Forecourt.

The Messy Road Network Within the Airport Will Be Redesigned Into an Integrated System, Together With Dedicated Set-down and Pick-up Arrangements for Taxis and Hire Cars.

Also in the Plans is Demolition of the Old Domestic Terminal and Its Replacement With a Regional Terminal for Mining Charters and General Aviation Passengers, and Proposals to Shift Cargo and Aircraft Maintenance Operations to the Eastern Side of the Airport. The Blueprint Will Make Provision for a Potential Light Rail Corridor to Link the Airport With the City.

As Previously Reported in Australian Aviation, the Federal Government Has Given Approval to Aal to Proceed With Negotiations for an Airport Hotel, With a Site Selected Within the Present Short-term Car Park. The Airport Company Says It Has Received Approaches From “several Interested Parties’’ to Build and Operate the Proposed Hotel.

Since Taking Over the Lease of Adelaide Airport and General Aviation Parafield Airport From the Commonwealth in 1998, Aal Has Spent About $450 Million on Infrastructure Projects, Including the $260 Million T1.

Private Investment Within the Airport Precinct Has Amounted to More Than $200 Including the Still-expanding Harbour Town Shopping Complex, a $40 Million Ikea Store and a New Business Park With Offices and Warehouses.

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Airport Briefs

the Federal Government Has Opened Applications for Funding to Improve Safety at Country Airstrips Under Its Remote Aerodrome Safety Program, With $6 Million in Funding Available. Applications Close on April 17.

Sydney Metropolitan Airports Has Announced That It Has Implemented Its Own Drug and Alcohol Management Policy in Compliance With New Casa Regulations. Under Its Policy, Sma Employees Will Be Prohibited From Consuming Alcohol or Drugs While on Company Premises, Except for Prescription Medication.

Melbourne Airport Donated $25,000 to the Salvation Army’s Bushfire Appeal, and a Number of Airport Staff Volunteered Their Time to Shake Tins for the Appeal at the Airport From February 12-14. A Number of Airport Staff Were Affected by the Fires in Nearby Whittlesea.

Auckland International Airport Recorded a Decrease of 0. 6 Per Cent in International Passengers and 5. 2 Per Cent Decrease in Domestic Passengers During December 2008. International Services Were Affected by Lower Arrivals From Long Haul Destinations Including the Us and Korea, Although Arrivals From Australia Increased by 10. 3 Per Cent.

General Aviation

Maf Pilot Shortage Compromising Service

Mission Aviation Fellowship Says That It is Experiencing a Shortage of Pilots and Has Had to Cut Back Its Services in Papua New Guinea.

The Organisation Says That It Usually Has Between 15 and 20 Pilots, but Due to Leave and Sickness This Had Reduced to Only Five in Late February.

Maf Currently Operates 14 Aircraft in Png, Which Are Used for and Transport on Behalf of Mission, Community and Aid Organisations.

“in Addition to More Routine Work, We Would Normally Carry Out at Least 400 Medical Evacuations Each Year, More Than One a Day, Across Png. But With the Number of Pilots and Flying Hours Greatly Reduced in 2009, It Means That the Lives of People in Need of Emergency Assistance Are at Greater Risk and, in Some Cases, Being Lost Because We Can’t Reach Them,” Said Charlesworth.

Ga Shipments Fall

General Aviation Manufacturers Worldwide Saw a Drop in Shipments for the First Time in Five Years as the Industry Continues to Battle Poor Public Opinions About Private Aircraft.

Statistics From the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (Gama) Show That Total Piston, Turboprop and Business Jet Shipments Were Down by One Per Cent to 3969 During 2008. While There Was an Increase in Shipping of Turboprops and Business Jets, Piston Engine Aircraft Shipments Fell by 20. 8 Per Cent. The Total Value of Ga Billings Was Higher by 13. 4 Per Cent to Us$24. 8bn (a$38. 7bn), Largely Reflecting the Higher Prices for Business Jets.

Turbocharged Airvan Certified

Gippsland Aeronautics Has Received Casa Certification for the Turbocharged Version of the Ga8 Airvan.

Designated as the Ga-8 Tc 320, the Aircraft Features a 350hp (260kw) Lycoming Tio-540-ah1a Turbocharged, Fuel Injected Engine, Driving a 203cm Hartzell Three Blade Constant Speed Propeller. All Design, Engineering and Certification Work for the Tc 320 Airvan Was Carried Out in-house at Gippsland Aeronautics’s Latrobe Regional Airport Facility, Where the Airvans Are Built.

The First Turbocharged Airvans Were Delivered in February to Mission Aviation Fellowship for Use in Papua New Guinea and Air Freight Solutions of Bathurst.

Cessna or Bell to Be Sold? Textron, the Parent Company of Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopters, Could Sell One of the Companies in Order to Cover Massive Losses in Its Financing Unit, According to Reports From the Us.

According to a Report in the ‘fort Worth Star-telegram’, Textron is Facing Debts of Over Us$6. 5bn (a$9. 96bn) Maturing Over the Next Two Years, and Senior Executives Have Raised Doubt About the Ability to Refinance That Debt. While the Company Says It Has Plans to Raise Us$1bn (a$1. 5bn) This Year, It is Expected That It May Have to Take Other Measures, Including a Possible Sale of One of Its Aeronautical Subsidiaries by the End of the Year to Meet Its Debt Obligations.

Textron Ceo Lewis Campbell Told an Investment Briefing on February 10 That Should Internal Plans Come to Fruition That It Would Not Have to Sell Any Core Assets, but Added That if It Couldn’t Raise the Cash Needed “there Would Be a Point This Year or Next We’d Have to Put One of Our Big Assets Up for Sale. ” Analysts Quoted in the Report Said That They Believed That Should It Come to an Asset Sale, Bell May Be the First to Be Sold Thanks to Its Diverse Order Book With Both Civil and Military Customers. Cessna Could Be Expected to Be Sold for a Discount Due to Its Exposure to a Slowdown in the Business Aviation Sector.

Aveo Chooses Cooma for Production

Light Sport Aircraft Designer Aveo Engineering Has Chosen Cooma’s Polo Flat Airfield as a Possible Site for the Production of Its Aveophantom.

According to a Report From the Abc Website, the First Phantom Will Arrive in March This Year for Certification Testing and the Start of Production at Polo Flat. It is Expected That in Full Production, Up to 50 Jobs Could Be Created.

The Two Seat Phantom is Aveo’s First Aircraft Under Its Own Branding, With the Slovakia Based Company Previously Focusing on the Design and Production of Various Avionics and Other Aircraft Parts. It Features a Chrome Molybdenum Steel Fuselage and Aluminium Alloy Wings, as Well as an Aveo-designed Six Panel, Touch Screen Glass Cockpit.

Perth Cut From Red Bull Air Race

Perth Has Not Been Included in the Schedule for the 2009 Red Bull Air Race as the Competition Has Been Reduced to Only Six Rounds.

The Competition Will Kick Off on the Weekend of April 17-18 in Abu Dhabi, With Subsequent Rounds in San Diego, Windsor (Canada), Budapest, Porto (Portugal) and Barcelona, Which Will Host the Final Round on October 3-4 Instead of Perth.

This Year Will Also See the Debut of Four New Rookie Pilots, Including Former Raaf Fighter Pilot Matt Hall, and 25 Year Old Canadian Rookie Pete Mcleod Who Will Become the Youngest Pilot in the Competition.

Grob Rescued

German Company H3 Aerospace Has Been Named as the Buyer of the Zurich Headquartered Bankrupt Manufacturer Grob Aerospace, With the Spn Business Jet Program Rumoured to Go to One of Grob’s Creditors.

Under the Deal, H3 Will Acquire the Training Aircraft and Support Businesses of Grob, and Will Take Over Its Tussenhausen-mattsies (in Germany) Facility and Employ Approximately 100 Staff From February 1. Under the Terms of the Deal, the Oberpfaffenhofen Based H3 Will Not Acquire the Spn Business and Utility Jet Program, Which Has Been Widely Credited as Draining the Company’s Financial Resources and Forcing It Into Insolvency Last Year.

However, a Report From ‘flightglobal. Com’ on January 29 Says That One of Grob’s Largest Creditors is Seeking Additional Investors to Take on the Spn and Take It Through to Certification and First Deliveries. The Unidentified Creditor is Said to Have Already Reached an Agreement With H3 to Base Spn Production and Development at Tussenhausen-mattsies.

Cessna Tweaks Skycatcher Cessna’s Project Engineer for the Model 162 Skycatcher Has Revealed in a Video Interview for ‘avweb. Com’ That the Manufacturer Has Modified the Design of the 162’s Tail Following the Crash of the Prototype Aircraft Last Year.

Neal Willford Told ‘kitplanes’ Editor Marc Cook at the Us Sport Aviation Expo 2009 in Sebring, “after the Spin Accident, We Took a Close Look at the Original Configuration and Did Another Wind Tunnel Test and Looked at a Couple of Different Changes to the Vertical Tail and Picked One That Provided Some Improvements in the Areas Where It Looked Like We Needed to. ” While He Did Not Outline Details of the Changes Made to the Design, He Said That the Test Aircraft Has Featured the New Tail Since December.

The Prototype Skycatcher Crashed on September 18 Last Year During Spin Testing Which Was Not a Part of the Certification Process.

Despite the Late Change, Willford Said That the Company Was Still on Track to Make Its First Skycatcher Delivery in the Second Half of This Year, With the First Production Aircraft Already in Production.

General Aviation Briefs

Found Aircraft Canada Received Faa Certification for Its Expedition E350 Stol Utility Light Aircraft on December 23. Deliveries of the First E350 Will Begin in the First Quarter of This Year.

the Prince of Wales Held a Reception at London ’s Clarence House for the Royal Flying Doctor Service (Friends in the Uk) on February 12 to Celebrate the Fifth Anniversary of the Charity and Acknowledge Its Support for the Rfds’s Work in Australia . The Prince of Wales is Patron of the British Charity.

Lancair is Moving Its Headquarters to Bigger Facilities Near Redmond Airport in Ohio to Accommodate Its Growing Operations. The Company Plans to Complete Its Move to a New 3251 Sq M Facility in Early April.

Port Macquarie Based Flying Training School and Charter Operator Coastjet Was Placed in Administration on January 15. Coastjet’s Owner, Dr Guy Hingston, Said That the 19 Year Old Company Failed Due to the Loss of a $2. 8 Million Deposit on Two Eclipse 500 Light Jets It Had Ordered After That Manufacturer Went Into Bankruptcy Last Year.

Business Aviation

Cessna Fights Back on Bizjet Opposition

Cessna Has Taken Out a Series of Ads Defending the Use of Business Aircraft at a Time When Us Congressmen and Many Other Public Figures Have Labelled Them as Executive Perks.

“We Think It’s Time the Other Side of the Story Be Told, and That Support Be Given to Those Businesses With the Good Judgment and Courage to Use Business Aviation to Not Only Help Their Businesses Survive the Current Financial Crisis, but More Quickly Forge a Path Toward an Economic Upturn,” Said Cessna Chairman, President and Ceo Jack Pelton.

Pelton Also Attacked the Assertions of Some in the Media That Business Aircraft Were a Luxurious Perk for the Ceos of Corporations Now Being Bailed Out by the Us Government. He Later Said in an Interview on Fox Business That the Government Had “vilified” Business Jet Users.

Cessna’s Effors Were Joined by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and National Business Aviation Association, Which Launched Its ‘no Plane No Gain’ Campaign to Overcome the Poor Public Perception of Business Aviation Due to Attacks From Us Congressmen and Even President Barack Obama on the Use of Business Aircraft by Underperforming Ceos. “at a Time When We Are Facing Almost Unprecedented Economic Challenges, Us Businesses Need Tools That Will Help Them Enhance Productivity, Maximise Flexibility, and Maintain Strong Communications,” Said Nbaa President and Ceo Ed Bollen.

500th Tbm Delivered

French Manufacturer Daher-socata Delivered Its 500th Tbm Business Turboprop Aircraft on February 5.

“when the Tbm Program Was Launched More Than 20 Years Ago, Attaining the Serial Number 500 Milestone Was an Ambition – Now It’s a Reality,” Said Nicolas Chabbert, the Senior Vice-president of Daher-socata General Aviation.

The Original Tbm 700 Was Launched in the Late 1980s, and Was Originally a Joint Venture Between Socata (Which Was Then a Subsidiary of Aerospatiale) and Mooney, Although the Latter Pulled Out of the Project Just After Delivery of the First Aircraft in December 1990. Improvements to the Aircraft’s Gross Weight and Performance as Well as a New Glass Cockpit Were Introduced With the Tbm850 in 2006.

Business Aviation Briefs

Cessna Launched Its “no Worries” Campaign on February 12, Which Offers an Optional Guaranteed Repurchase Price or Trade-in Value on Eligible Used Citations Purchased in Both the Us and Internationally Before July 2. Those Aircraft Will Also Be Enrolled in Cessna’s Worldwide Support Program.

Gulfstream Has Completed the Installation of Its 50th Synthetic Vision-primary Flight Display System. The System, Which is Retrofittable to G550, G500, G450 and G350 Business Jets, Provides a Three Dimensional Colour Image of Terrain Which is Overlaid With Primary Flight Data.

Cargo

“shocking” December for Freight Carriers – Iata New Figures From Iata Show That Freight Volumes Declined by 22. 6 Per Cent During December 2008 Compared to the Same Time Last Year, Which Director General Giovanni Bisignani Called “unprecedented and Shocking. ” the Fall in Freight Volumes Was Led by Carriers in the Asia Pacific Region, Which Recorded a 26 Per Cent Fall in Traffic. The Fall Was Attributed to a 20-30 Per Cent Decline in International Trade Across Asia, North America and Europe as a Result of the Global Recession. Carriers in Latin America, North America and Europe All Recorded Double Digit Decline in Volumes Also, While Middle East and African Carriers Also Saw Declines in Volume.

The Sharp Fall During What is Traditionally a Strong Month Due to the Movement of Goods During the Christmas and New Year Periods Led to an Overall Contraction in the Air Freight Market Globally of Four Per Cent for the Year, Compared With Growth of 4. 3 Per Cent in 2007. And With Global Economies Still on the Downward Slide, Little Relief is Expected During This Year, According to Bisignani. “2009 is Shaping Up to Be One of the Toughest Years Ever for International Aviation. The 22. 6 Per Cent Drop in International Cargo Traffic in December Puts Us in Uncharted Territory and the Bottom is Nowhere in Sight. Keep Your Seatbelts Fastened and Prepare for a Bumpy Ride and a Hard Landing,” He Said.

Air France- Klm, Cargolux and Marinair Fined the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Has Launched Legal Proceedings Against Air France, Klm, Martinair and Cargolux as Part of Its Ongoing Investigation of an Illegal Airfreight Cartel.

According to an Accc the Airlines Involved Have Made a Number of Admissions and Have Consented to Various Remedies and Injunctions. As a Result, the Accc Applied to the Federal Court for Penalties of $5 Million Each for Martinair and Cargolux, While Air France- Klm is Will Pay $6 Million. The Federal Court Approved the Penalties on February 16.

The Accc Has Already Taken Action Against Qantas, British Airways and a Number of Other Airlines in Relation to the Cartel, Which Originated From an Iata-derived Formula for Calculating Air Freight Fuel Surcharges. The Commission is Also in Continuing Court Proceedings Against Singapore Airlines, Which is Contesting the Charges Laid Against It.

The Accc Also Said That It Will Continue to Investigate Other Airlines Involved in the Price Fixing Scandal, “with Further Actions Expected Over the Next Few Months. ”

Cargo Briefs

Cathay Pacific Announced That It Will Add Miami and Houston to Its Dedicated Freighter Network From March 6, Utilising Boeing 747-400ers.

Air France Cargo Took Delivery of the First Boeing 777 Freighter at Everett on February 20. Air France Ordered Five 777fs in May 2005, but is Delaying Delivery of Two of the Type From This Year to Later in 2010-12 Due to a Drop in Demand.

Finance

Successful 2008 for Saab Leasing Saab Aircraft Leasing Completed a Successful Last Year, With the Regional Aircraft Lessor Completing 17 Aircraft Transactions.

“Demand for Good Saab Aircraft Continues to Be Strong and Steady,” Said Sal President and Ceo Michael Magnusson. “as Always, We Are Pleased to See Existing Customers Extend Leases on Our Aircraft, While Others Chose to Add More. During 2008, Sal Was Also Able to Secure New Customers,” He Noted, Adding “We Foresee a Small Turnover of Our Aircraft During 2009. ” These Transactions Included Allocation and Extension of Leases on Six Saab 2000s for Olt, Air Express, Eastern Airways and Golden Air, With One Sold to Joe Gibbs Racing. The Lessor Also Extended Leases on Two 340bs and One 340a, While Two Other 340as Were Sold to Loganair and the Lease Was Extended on Another. Sal Also Refinanced One 340a for an Undisclosed Customer.

As Well as the Transactions in Its Own Portfolio, Sal Was Also Involved in Placing Two 340bs to a Panamanian Customer, as Well as Organising the Sale of a Former Regional Express 340a to Sol in Argentina.

Finance Briefs

Security

Security Briefs

Maintenance & Training

Ctc Aviation Has Installed Two Da42 Fnptii Training Devices From Diamond Simulation at Its Hamilton, New Zealand, Crew Training Centre. Ctc is Also Installing Two of the Same Training Devices at Its Bournemouth, Uk, Facility.

Maintenance, Support &training Briefs

Air Safety

Calm and Collected Captain on Us1549 the Us Faa Has Released the Recording and Transcript of Radio Communications Between Laguardia Departure Control and the Pilot of Us Airways Flight 1529 Which Made a Remarkable Ditching Into the Hudson River on January 15, Revealing an Incredibly Calm Crew.

According to the Transcript, Captain Chesley Sullenberger Radioed in to Note That the Aircraft Had Lost Thrust in Both Engines After a Birdstrike Only Two Minutes and Two Seconds After Calling That the Aircraft Had Climbed Through 700ft. The Departures Controller Then Coordinated With Laguardia and Then Teterboro Atc to Try and Clear a Suitable Runway for the Aircraft to Land on. Four Seconds After Receiving Clearance to Land on Runway 1 at Teterboro, Sullenberger Said, “we Can’t Do It” and Followed Up With the Last Transmission “we’re Gonna Be in the Hudson”. Radar Contact Was Lost 23 Seconds After.

The Skill of Sullenberger, the First Officer and Cabin Crew in Successfully Ditching the Aircraft and Evacuating All the Passengers on Board With No Casualties Has Been Widely Praised Around the World. Sullenberger Has Even Received a Personal Offer From Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson to Double His Pay and Fly for a Virgin Group Airline.

Air Safety Briefs

the Australian Transport Safety Bureau Issued a Cabin Crew Information and Procedures Bulletin for Dealing With an Inflight Depressurisation on January 30. The Bulletin is Part of the Atsb’s Investigation Into the Qf30 Incident Last Year When an Oxygen Tank Explosion Caused an Inflight Decompression on a Qantas Boeing 747-400 en Route From Hong Kong to Melbourne.

Six Passengers Were Able to Walk Away After a Piper Chieftain Operated by Csg Aviation That Ditched Into Darwin Harbour Shortly After 0830 Cst on February 6. Witnesses Said It Appeared That the Aircraft’s Engines Failed Shortly After Takeoff From Darwin International Airport, Forcing the Pilot to Land in Water to a Depth of One Metre in the Harbour.

a Colgan Air Operated Continental Express Bombardier Q400 Crashed on the Evening of February 12 on Approach to Buffalo, New York State, Killing All 49 Passengers and Crew Onboard and One Person on the Ground. It Was the First Fatal Us Airline Accident Since August 2006.

a British Airways Citiflyer Avro Rj100 Made a Nosewheel Up Landing at London City Airport on February 13. Only Minor Injuries Were Reported.

Atc & Airspace

Atcos Approve Industrial Action, but Strike Unlikely Air Traffic Controllers Have Voted to Take Industrial Action but Are Not Planning to Strike as They Seek a Seven Per Cent Pay Rise and Other Concessions From Airservices Australia.

Almost 95 Per Cent of Votes Cast in a Ballot by the Air Traffic Controllers Union Civil Air Voted in Favour of Industrial Action. But as Negotiations Were Ongoing, a Potentially Crippling Strike by Atcos Would Be Unlikely to Occur in the Coming Weeks. “We’ve Made Arrangements to Continue the Negotiations and We’re Working on That Right Now,” Civil Air Executive Secretary Peter Mcguane Told the Australian on February 13. “We’re Confident We Can Get to a Position Whereby We’ve Allocated Much of Next Week to Work Towards an Agreement. ” Civil Air is Currently Being Assisted by Actu President Sharan Burrow in Its Negotiations With Airservices Australia Ceo Greg Russell. Reports Are That the Parties Are Close to Reaching Agreement on the Pay Rise Issue, Sick Leave Provisions, Rostering Arrangements and Work Classifications.

A Number of Airlines Have Expressed Concern That They Would Have to Cancel Services in the Event That the Atcos Started Rolling Strike Action, Due to Safety Concerns.

Airservices Australia and Qantas Will Begin Trials of the Required Navigation Performance (Rnp) System at Adelaide Airport in April.

The System, Using Precise Gps Tracking, Has Been Tested at Several Australian Airports and Adopted by Brisbane.

It is Aimed at Reducing Aircraft Noise and Emissions, Particularly During Landings, by Enabling a Steady, Steeper Descent Into the Airport, Instead of the Noisier “stepped’’ Approach.

The Procedure Also is Aimed at Improving Safety, Reducing Delays for Passengers and Saving Fuel for Airlines.

The Air Traffic Management System, Which Makes Use of the Latest Aviation and Navigation Technology, is Installed in 35 Qantas Boeing 737-800 Aircraft.

Adelaide Airport’s North-east Approach Crosses Several Suburbs Including Medindie and North Adelaide, and the Inner Western Suburbs, Where Aircraft Noise Has Been a Major Issue.

“it Should Enable Much Quieter Landing Approaches,’’ Adelaide Airport’s Corporate Affairs General Manager John Mcardle Said.

Airservices Australia Spokesman Rob Walker Said There Had Been “healthy Interest’’ in the Proposal Among Residents Along the Flight Paths.

The Adelaide Trial Would Use Existing Flight Paths for Approaches and Departures and Be Open-ended, He Said.

A 12-month Trial at Brisbane Airport, for Both Landings and Takeoffs, Proved Most Successful in Reducing Noise, While Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 650 Tonnes and Producing Aviation Fuel Savings of 200 Tonnes, Asa Reported.

The Rnp Trials Are Being Supported by Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority and Us Company Naverus, Which Has Designed the Specialist Procedures.

Chris Milne

Atc & Airspace Briefs

People

Brett Fraser Has Been Appointed as the New General Manager of Australia Tradecoast in Brisbane.

Sam Heine Has Been Appointed as British Airways’s New Regional Commercial Manager, South West Pacific. Heine Will Be Based in Sydney and Will Oversee Ba’s Commercial Activities in Australia and New Zealand.

Ian Thomas Has Been Appointed as President of Boeing Australia and South Pacific, Effective March 1. Current President Craig Saddler Has Been Promoted to Vice President of Finance for Boeing Ids’s Network and Space Systems Division in the United States. Thomas Currently Leads Boeing’s Operations in India, and Joined the Company in 2001.

Lockheed Martin Uk Has Appointed Stephen R Ball as Its Ceo From March 1 to Replace Ian Stopps Who is Retiring.

Julianne Alroe Has Been Selected to Take Over as Ceo of Brisbane Airport Corporation, Replacing Retiring Ceo Koen Rooijmans. Alroe, Who Was Most Recently Sydney Airport’s General Manager of Infrastructure Planning and Services, Will Take Up the Role Mid-year.

Qantas Has Appointed Jon Scriven as the Airline’s Executive General Manager Human Resources. He Will Take Up the Role From Early April.

Events

Whitsunday Fun in the Air

Whitsunday Airport and the Whitsunday Aviation Village Estate Are Holding a Family Fun Filled Day on Sunday May 3rd in the Gorgeous Whitsundays Airlie Beach.

The Event Will Celebrate the Completion of a 12 Month, $16million Upgrade of the First Airpark of Its Kind in Australia. Special Guest Displays Will Include the Raaf Roulettes and the Australian Champion Aerobatic Pilot Pip Bormann. There Will Also Be Helicopter Displays, Skydiving and Local Tenants and Regular Visitors. The Day Will Be Designed for the Public to Have an Opportunity to Get Up Close to the Aircraft and Pilots With a Full Static Display as Well as a Sausage Sizzle, Licensed Bar and Jumping Castle for the Kids.

Proceeds of the Day Are to Be Donated to Rfds and Cqrescue, With Doors to Open From 10am.